23 SEPTEMBER 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: A vendor stir fries meatless noodles on the first day of the Vegetarian Festival near the Chit Sia Ma Chinese shrine in Bangkok. The Vegetarian Festival is celebrated throughout Thailand. It is the Thai version of the The Nine Emperor Gods Festival, a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. During a period of nine days, those who are participating in the festival dress all in white and abstain from eating meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy products. Vendors and proprietors of restaurants indicate that vegetarian food is for sale by putting a yellow flag out with Thai characters for meatless written on it in red. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ